Rockford—Dream Town

The following essay was written by a seventh-grade student at Rockford Christian School, and submitted an essay for her language arts assignment. Her teacher, in turn, submitted it for a contest where it was accepted for a future publication. We hope readers will enjoy the work as much as we did here at The Squire.

by ANNE VANDERWELL

The occasional chatter of a squirrel joins the normal chaos of our small downtown. Pretty much everyone knows each other so people always stop to talk. Kids mill around while parents mingle together. Bands come to play their music. Birds’ cheerful melodies fill the incomplete silence. Puppies yelp playfully and chase after chipmunks that dive into their holes or dens. If you’re lucky you’ll see a bride and groom smiling for a picture, soon to be whisked away on the perfect honeymoon. There are tons of cute small stores with funky names such as Rudy Kazoodys, Pins, Stripes and Polka dots, and Gumballs and Overalls. One candy store we stopped by was daring shoppers to try a fried bug; if they did, they got to pick a free toffee from the store. Every Saturday in the summer is the farmers market where stores hand out free samples and sell their products. Fresh fruit and vegetables find their way into your stomach and fridge.

Rusted signs line the side of the river along the edge of downtown. They say, “Don’t feed Waterfowl” that no one has bothered to obey in ages. Once you are on the bridge you can not hear yourself think. The raging beast of the waterfall is roaring enthusiastically, engulfing anything smaller than a log into the endless flow of water. The edge of rocks peaking above the water can not be seen due to painted turtles sunning themselves. Maybe you will see a snapping turtle the size of your face! In the spring, larger fish can be seen attempting, yet failing, to jump up and over the dam. Miniature festivals pop up regularly.

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About Squire News

The Squire has been Rockford’s free weekly newspaper since 1871. Our loyal readership includes over fifteen thousand homes in the Rockford area, including the affluent Lakes area of Lake Bella Vista, Bostwick Lake and Silver Lake; Belmont, Blythefield, as well as Algoma, Courtland, Cannon and Plainfield Townships. The Squire is distributed through the U.S. Post Office every Thursday. We also deliver to in-town businesses and homes with paper carriers and news stands in our grocery stores and over thirty local shops.